


I want you (to want me)

by pretzel_logic



Series: Coldflash week prompted [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Crack, Flirty!Barry, M/M, coldflash - Freeform, originally meant for coldflash week, role reversal prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-24 01:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4899997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzel_logic/pseuds/pretzel_logic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was an accident. Barry did not mean to flirt with Snart at all (at first).</p>
            </blockquote>





	I want you (to want me)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my writer's blog [pretzel writes](pretzel-writes.tumblr.com). This was meant for the role reversal prompt during coldflash week but I struggled with flirtacious Barry.

Contrary to what everyone thought, Barry did not set out to flirt with Captain Cold. It just… Slipped out.

Snart, because Cisco had yet to name him Cold, was going on about how Barry, well- the Flash, had forced Leonard to step up his ‘game’ and Barry was in a little too much pain from being hit by the Cold Gun to really get the context.

“I’ll say, this is an _awful_ first date,” Barry said as he tried to stand up, distracted from noticing how quiet Snart had gotten for a few milliseconds. Then he looked up to see Snart gaping at him and Barry mentally reviewed their conversation to realize he had interrupted an evil monologue. By mistakenly thinking, due to pain, Snart meant flirting by game instead of criminal activity. Honest mistake, really.

Finally Snart chuckled and aimed the Cold Gun, “Shame you won’t be around to enjoy a second one.”

Then Cisco, Felicity, and Caitlin arrived in time to save Barry.

~*~

Barry really had not been in a mood to talk when he finally confronted Cold and his new friend Heatwave. Though he did wonder if it was just his glare that got Snart to hurry the fight up. He could have sworn for a moment he saw the man blush but it was really too dark out to tell.

“It’s over,” Barry told him when Snart tried to reach for his Cold gun after being knocked to the ground from the Cold and Heat guns cancelling each other out. Barry would have left it at that but Snart looked too smug for having lost. “For a second date, this was not much better than the first. Though I do prefer this one ending with you in cuffs.”

Snart laughed. “Kinky. You know what they say kid, third time’s the charm.”

Barry was getting really tired of Snart having to have the last word and he had a great come-back too but Eddie was approaching now, and he just did not have time. So he winked quickly at Cold before leaving Eddie and the rest of CCPD to arrest Snart and Rory.

~*~

Barry honestly forgot Wells had been listening in over comms or that he would wait for Cisco and Caitlin before question him about Cold. “So how long have you been seeing Leonard Snart, Barry?”

Barry choked on air and felt himself blushing as Cisco and Caitlin started to freak out.  
Harrison clearly had a mean sense of humor because he smiled at Barry as he explained, “Oh I just heard Barry discussing dates with Cold over the comms.”

“What? Barry-” “Dude!”

“It’s not like that!” Barry denied quickly. “It’s just- Look. When I fought Snart after he derailed that train he managed to hit me with the Cold Gun. Then he was monologuing like a super villain about upping his game and I just- I just joked that he needed to because this ‘first date’ sucked.” _Okay, it sounds worse than I thought when I say it out loud._ “I was kind of in pain and not really thinking clearly. Then he looked way too smug for having lost against me that I couldn’t resist making a second date crack.”

_What did I even say exactly? Oh- oh man, Wells did not need to overhear that._

Caitlin looked like she was trying to be understanding but was completely judging him. Cisco seemed to get it was all something that had grown out of control but he still looked skeptical. Wells… Wells looked like he was laughing his ass off on the inside while his eyebrows asked if Barry wanted a shovel to help dig the hole he was burying himself in.

“If you’re sure, Mr. Allen.”

~*~

Of course, Barry could not resist saying something as Snart introduced his sister to Barry.

“Wow, introducing me to the family already, Cold? I’m flattered,” he teased but there was an edge to his voice because he had caught Snart and his sister shooting up a casino. There was already one unfortunate man that looked like he was covered in gold. He was so tired of this needless killing, how could anyone be so casual about death?

Cold lost his smile and Barry was not sure if he was angry or embarrassed but Snart certainly was red in the face.

“Lenny?” Lisa asked, sounding wary and confused.

Barry bit his lip to stop from laughing because Lenny, really? Really? Except the Snarts had Cisco and things were suddenly a lot less funny.

~*~

Barry hated this. Compromising with Cold felt like making a deal with the devil but if he could protect those he cared about, and keep Snart and his associates from killing it was worth it. Keeping his identity a secret was just a bonus.

“I don’t suppose you’d give me a lift back to the highway?” Snart asked as he scanned the woods pointedly. Then he pouted at Barry but the effect was ruined by the smirk he was trying to hide. “Walking alone in the woods at night seems awfully dangerous.”

Barry snickered. “Are you serious? What have you done recently that makes you think I’ll do you any favors?”

Snart hummed as he looked Barry up and down. “I can think of a couple things.”

“Considering what I’m wearing I hope it’s more than a couple,” Barry said without really thinking about it and oh man, was it a good thing he turned off his comms for this conversation. Cisco did not need to hear what Barry thought of his suit. For instance, like Barry knew he looked like a weird bdsm porn extra in it- and only an extra because he was not showing enough skin.

Something Snart clearly agreed with him on if the heated look he was receiving meant anything. Barry could admit Snart was hot, his type when it came to men and that probably explained why he kept flirting when he really wished he would not.

“Well, now that you said it…”

“Still not giving you a lift,” Barry admitted before running. He really needed to stop flirting with Snart.

~*~

He should have seen Cold’s betrayal coming. He shouldn’t have trusted the man from the start but he understood why Snart did what he did. Barry had not been all that thrilled about sending the meta-humans to Lian Yu but it was a ‘between a rock and hard place’ decision. The meta-humans could not stay in the pipeline and Barry could not just release them; not with what he knew they’d do with their powers given a chance.

If Oliver had asked him to help send a bunch of people to a remote island because they were untried criminals with powers… Barry would have fought it. He’d encourage Oliver to find another way.

Barry just did not have time for alternatives and even though the betrayal hurt, he was grateful Cold freed the meta-humans. It stopped Barry from doing something he knew he’d regret.

~*~

Two weeks after Barry fixed reality, he was almost grateful to go up against Captain Cold. He was on his own this time, and already fleeing the scene of the heist by the time Barry had been alerted.

They ended up fighting in the warehouse district, Barry just barely managing to stay ahead of blasts from the Cold gun. By luck more than anything, Barry was able to run around the sighting of the gun to get inches away from Snart’s face. “You seem awfully determined to ice me. Am I in the dog house?”

“ _Barry…_ ” Cisco groaned over the comms.

A sudden worrying thought occurred to Barry and blurted out, “Lisa and Mick are okay, right? They didn’t- they’re not hurt, right?”

Cisco audibly held his breath as Barry watched Snart’s angry posture relax. “They’re fine kid. Though your sky show certainly did give us a scare.”

Was… Did Cold do all this just to check up on him? Had he been worried about Barry and then angry when it was clear he was okay?

“Aw, you do care about me. I had wondered after Ferris Air. I mean you clearly did not like the plan to ship the meta-humans off to a prison island but you protected me like you promised,” Barry admitted.

“No advantage to you being dead, kid.”

“Really?”

“No advantage worth the disadvantage.”

“Uh-huh, nothing to do with our mutual attraction, gotcha.” Barry teased, happy to see Len smirk back at him. He would not put it past the man to be giving him 'elevator eyes’ behind the goggles.

“I think you need help to _cool_ down. You shouldn’t _rush_ into things, Scarlet.”

“ _Oh my god, I am not listening to this. I am not listening to this._ ”

“Well, I am feeling a little hot under the collar.”

“ _Ok! Fight is clearly over. I’ll let you two… Do whatever it is you’re doing._ ” Cisco griped before clearly shutting off comms.

Cold hummed appreciatively as he looked Barry over. “Got to say Scarlet, thought for sure I burnt my bridges with you after last time.”

Barry shrugged, unapologetic. “I don’t blame you for what you did. I didn’t like the plan myself but I didn’t know what else to do. Do I want the meta-humans at large? No, but it gives me and others time to figure out a better solution which we did not have before.”

Len took off his goggles and stared thoughtfully at Barry. “Meet me at Saint and Sinners in an hour. I’ll treat you to a nice evening out.”

“Will I also get a nice evening in?”

“Well this is our fifth 'date’, I’m sure you could persuade me to put out,” Len grinned and didn’t look repentant at all.

Barry laughed and allowed his face and vocal cords to speed up, “Oh that’s easy. _I vibrate._ ” He waited to see the implications sink in before laughing once more. “See you in an hour Snart.”

(Barry might have run a little late thanks to Caitlin and Cisco throwing a 'Snarts are enemies, not dates’ intervention).

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr as [pretzel-log1c](pretzel-log1c.tumblr.com) and [pretzel-writes](pretzel-writes.tumblr.com)
> 
> Turned on comment moderation for reviewers that wish to leave private reviews (please specify so).


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